An overview for Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders who are teaching Lifeway’s “Explore the Bible” lesson of Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38, “Inhabited,” for Sunday February 2, 2025. A video version of this overview is available on YouTube at:

INTRODUCTION:

You could ask your group something like: ??? How many of you have a tent (or have had one)??? 

And if so, ask them what specifically they have used it for.

(Cheryl & I have a little tent that we use to set up on the beach when we go to the Gulf; our church also has a little tent we use when we do various ministry activities.

AND/OR could also ask: Have any of you ever had a WORSHIP SERVICE in a tent?

(Several probably have; “tent revivals” used to be a popular thing a generation ago; some churches may still do them.)

Then you can transition by saying something like: This morning we are going to see how God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle (or tent) to serve as a place of worship and sacrifice for the people of Israel, as well as to represent His guiding presence among them. 

(ALTERNATIVE INTRO: use the “GPS” question from Point III to introduce the lesson, and transition by saying, today in Exodus 40 we’ll see how God led His people perfectly towards the Promised Land.)

CONTEXT:

Moses and the people of Israel are still en route to the Promised Land from Egypt, and as we saw last time, the LORD gave them a command to build a Tabernacle, using both their material gifts and their physical talents. 

You might want to share a picture of what the Tabernacle might have looked like, something like this   (If you have the Lifeway teacher’s guide, you can scan a link on page 112 that you can print and share). 

You might refer to this diagram during the lesson at a couple of points, either here in the introduction, or later where it talks about the covering of the tent, and the Ark of the Covenant, and the screens/curtains, etc.

OUTLINE:

I. A Commitment to Obedience (40:16-21)

II. The Glorious Presence (40:34-35, 38)

III. The Providential Guidance (40:36-37)

TEXT:

I. A Commitment to Obedience (40:16-21)

EXODUS 40:

16 “Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

17 Now in the first month [h]of the second year, on the first day of the month, the [i]tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle and [j]laid its [k]sockets, and set up its boards, and [l]inserted its bars and erected its pillars. 19 He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20 Then he took the testimony and put it into the ark, and [n]attached the poles to the ark, and put the [o]mercy seat [p]on top of the ark. 21 He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.” (NASB 1995)

You might want to use the image of the interior of the Tabernacle as you read these verses, and point out some of the things it mentions.  But I wouldn’t get too bogged down in those details, as I believe the best point of application is found in :16.

Verse 16 really summarizes this section: “Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.”

That is what this section is all about: the detailed, conscientious obedience of Moses to all the commands of YHWH. 

Of course, the word “Thus” in :16 indicates that something came before that. Beginning in :1 of Chapter 40, God had given Moses a list of specific things He wanted him to do for the Tabernacle: 

— set it up on the first of the month (:2)

— put a veil in front of the Ark of the Covenant (:3)

— set up the table (:4)

and so on.

THIS is what :16 is referring to: that Moses DID all of those specific things that God commanded him to do.

In fact, we see that at least THREE TIMES in our focus passage it emphasizes the complete obedience of Moses to God’s commands:

— :16 “Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

— :19b “just as the LORD had commanded Moses”

— :21b “just as the LORD had commanded Moses”

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: that phrase “just as the LORD commanded Moses” continues to be used outside of the Lifeway “focus passage” in :23, :25, :27, :29, and :32!

One way to really emphasize this to your group would be to assign these verses to your class members to read (to keep the translation consistent I might print them out on slips of paper for them to read and give them to them at the beginning of class). Then at some point during this first section have them read these verses, and ask them: 

??? What did we hear OVER & OVER in these verses???
Of course the answer is the phrase: “Just as the LORD had commanded Moses.” 

So the point that is continually being hammered home here, is that Moses completely obeyed God in everything that he did for the Tabernacle. Moses is a model for us in this too: God is worthy of our complete obedience.

Now, we might be careful to emphasize: thank God that our SALVATION does not depend upon our complete obedience — for NONE of us has or will obey Him completely. We are only saved by His grace, through faith in Jesus. (This might be the place/one place where you share the gospel this week)

BUT although our salvation does not depend upon it, God is still WORTHY of our complete obedience.

+x At the wedding at Cana, in John 2:5, “His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’”

That should be our commitment too. Whatever He says to us, we should do. WHY? Because He is GOD. Chapter 40 begins in :1 with the words: “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying …” and He gave all these directions. GOD gave these commands. And again, not just “any” god, but when we see “LORD” in all 4 capitals in the Old Testament, that means in the Hebrew text it is YHWH: Yaweh, or Jehovah, the One True God. That’s the authority behind these commands. If it were a MAN giving these commands, we might say, “Well, I think this one is a bit unnecessary;” or “I think we can skip this one” — and we might be right. But not with God! The words we find in scripture are GOD’S words! YAHWEH spoke these! So we’d best do every single thing He says in His word.

??? DISCUSSION QUESTION???

??? What are some of God’s commands that people might be inclined to question or change today???

— Many question His commands in both Old & New Testaments prohibiting homosexuality

— Or that marriage should be between one man and one woman

— I’ve read where people have questioned whether a person needs to be repent in order to be saved.

— Some might question that one should tithe or give generously to the Lord

You and your group can think of many. But then emphasize: the commands we find in Scripture are GOD’S commands. We need to be as diligent in obeying them, as Moses was here.

??? Another question might be: What are some areas where we might be tempted to PARTIALLY but not completely obey God???

(Maybe give part of a tithe; or talk to some of the people He told us share with; or “forgive but not completely”, or get “some” fo the sin out of our life, etc.)

Verse 16 says: “Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.” May it be able to be said of US too, that we were committed to do ALL that the Lord has commanded us. 

ILLUSTRATION:

John Newton was the former slave trader who was saved and later wrote the famous song “Amazing Grace.” He also had a wide ministry of counseling people all over England through letter-writing. A lady wrote to him, asking him what the best signs of genuine salvation were. Newton wrote:

“The best mark to judge by, and which He has given us for that purpose, is to inquire if His word and will have a prevailing, governing influence upon our lives and temper. If we love Him, we do endeavour to keep His commandments … Obedience is the best test …”. (John Newton, to Mrs. Wilberforce, Letters of John Newton, Josiah Bull, ed., p. 75)

Those words “Obedience is the best test” are powerful ones!

NO, our obedience is NOT the ground of our salvation. If it were, NONE of us would be saved. But obedience IS a sign of genuine salvation. As Jesus said “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

And you might close this section with a specific challenge of application for your members:  ??? Are you personally aware of any specific Biblical command God has given, that you are not obeying?  If so, you need to ask God to give you the grace to repent and OBEY that commandment today! 

II. The Glorious Presence (40:34-35, 38)

34 “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. …

38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.” (NASB 1995)

At the end of :33 (which is not in the Lifeway “focus passage,” it says “Thus Moses finished the work” of the Tabernacle. THEN it says in :34, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” “The tent of meeting” is the same thing as “the tabernacle.” This is an example of Hebrew  parallelism, basically saying the same thing twice in just a little different way, as a means of poetic expression and emphasis.

But what HAPPENED with the Tabernacle/tent that day is what is significant: 

— “the cloud covered” the tent

— “the glory of the LORD” filled the tabernacle

This is important. The glory of the LORD (YHWH/Yahweh/Jehovah) fills this place, the Bible says. 

The glory of the LORD/YHWH is a rich, rich topic, that gets to the heart of what we are about as Christians. The “glory” of God is His manifest presence, a brightness, a shining, an experience of the very presence of God Himself. It’s the glory that Moses wished to see in Exodus 33:18, when he asked the LORD, “I pray You, show me Your glory.”

Significantly, the Hebrew word for the Tabernacle is “mishkan.”

It comes from the word “shakan,” which means to “dwell.”

From this word “shakan” comes the Hebrew expression you may have heard of, the “Shekinah glory” of God. It’s the visible expression of the glory of God as He dwells among us.

— This is what Moses saw only a portion of from the cleft of the rock in Exodus 34:

— This is the glory that filled the Tabernacle here in Exodus 40

— This is the glory that later filled the Temple in Solomon’s day in II Chronicles 7. 

Significantly, like Moses, all mankind longs to see the glory of God. “Seeing the glory of God” is not just some sentimental religious expression.We were created by God to be satisfied by His glory. 

— It’s the one thing Moses really wanted: “Show me Your glory.”

— It’s the hope of David in the Psalms: 17:15, “I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” He knew he was created to be satisfied by the Shekinah glory of God. He said in Psalm 16:11 “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” David knew that in the presence of God is where we find joy and pleasure we can’t find anywhere else.

— It’s the final expression of Revelation, which tells us in 21:3 that “He will DWELL among them” — the word “dwell” there is literally “tabernacle” — that Shekinah glory of the Tabernacle will be among us forever, so glorious that it says later in Revelation 21:23 “the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the GLORY OF GOD has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb”!  

See, the glory of the presence of God is what we were created to be fulfilled by.

The problem is, we all sinned, and what does Romans 3:23 say?

“All have sinned and fall short of — THE GLORY OF GOD”! Our sin keeps us from experiencing the glory of God that we were all designed to be satisfied by.

But in Jesus, we now receive access BACK to the glory of God, as II Thessalonians 2:14 says; “It is for THIS that He called you through our gospel: that you may GAIN THE GLORY of our Lord Jesus Christ”!  

See, in sin we lost the glory of God; but in Jesus we gain it back!

It’s all about the glory. The glorious presence of God that we were made to experience and be satisfied by.

Sometimes people fantasize about heaven being a place where they can ride the perfect horse, or play the perfect golf course. I think the scripture teaches us that our eyes are going to be transfixed on the Shekinah Glory of God; and we will be totally satisfied by His presence, with “fullness of joy” and the unimaginable pleasures of His right hand, as Psalm 16 says.

THAT is what Moses and the people of Israel got a taste of that day at the Tabernacle: the Shekinah glory of God.

That God’s presence was with them THE DISTINCTION of Israel as the people of God then. His glory dwelt among them in the Tabernacle as they traveled (and later in the Temple).

This should be our distinction today too: that we are a people whom God is with. Although we will not get a “face to face” sight of that glory until He appears and brings us to Himself (I John 3:2) we get a taste of His glory when we worship. And what sets us apart as the people of God, like Israel in the wilderness, is that God is with us. And people can tell it, when we truly worship Him, and He manifests His presence among us.

+x Remember what Paul wrote in  I Cor. 14:25, about unbelievers in the worship service? “So he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.” 

Just as Israel was distinguished by the fact that God’s presence was with them, so our churches today should be distinguished by the presence of God among US. That should be our fervent prayer and goal. 

ILLUSTRATION:

“Blaise Pascal was a Christian believer and philosopher, and one of the great minds of history. When he died it was discovered that he had sewn into the inner lining of his coat the description of an experience he had had one night. It read: ‘In the year 1654, Monday, twenty-third November, from about half past ten in the evening until half an hour after midnight … FIRE …. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, and not of the philosophers and of the learned. Certainty. Certainty. Feeling. Joy. Peace.’” (Timothy Keller, Prayer, p. 167)

It seems that Blaise Pascal that day got a personal taste of that Shekinah glory of God!

??? DISCUSSION QUESTION???

??? Can you share a time when you felt/experienced the glory of the Lord in a special way; perhaps in a worship service, or a personal time of prayer???

The glorious presence of God that fell upon the Tabernacle that day is a significant part of this lesson. More of God’s people need to be aware that we aren’t just going to “heaven;” to “pearly gates” or “streets of gold.” Our greatest hope is that we are going to dwell in the very presence of the Shekinah glory of God forever, where we will be thrilled and satisfied with His glory forever. THAT is what Moses and Israel got a taste of here that day!

And it was not just a “one-time” experience, either. As we see next, God continued to guide them with His glorious presence:

III. The Providential Guidance (40:36-37)

??? DISCUSSION QUESTION???

One way you could begin this section would be to ask your group to share stories about the guidance they’ve received from GPS/maps: have they ever let you down???
(For example: In 2010 my wife Cheryl, our son Michael & I were in England, and at this particular point we were backpacking in some smaller towns. Our son (who was 11 then) desperately wanted McDonalds — he was tired of the strange English food. So we got the GPS to take us to McDonalds. We walked a LONG way, much of it uphill; and we were SO exhausted. And when we arrived, it was McDonald’s FURNITURE store! We were so disappointed — and had a long walk back to go!

You/your group probably have stories just like that. GPS is not perfect; maps apps on our phones sometimes let us down. But GOD will lead us perfectly. And we see in this part of today’s lesson how He led Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land. (As I mentioned earlier, you could also use this discussion question as an alternate introduction to the lesson).

But the WAY that God led His people through the wilderness to the Promised Land was very unique: He led them by His own personal presence:

:36 “Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; :37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.” (NASB 1995)

So the process was very simple: when the cloud of God’s presence moved, they moved. When the cloud stayed, they stayed. 

??? What are the implications for US today??? How can WE apply this?

— We need to be ready to follow God’s leadership; when He says “move,” “go,” we need to be ready to do it. 

— But there is a second part of that — and I think for many of us, this is harder. And that is, if God DOESN’T say “move/go/etc, are we willing to WAIT until He does? We are often very impatient. We want action! Most of us are not very good at waiting. We adhere to that old expression: “Don’t just stand there, DO something!” 

But often times, God wants us to wait. Wait on Him. Wait in His timing. But again, we aren’t always very good at that. How many times does a church plow ahead with a decision, that is not really from the Lord, but they just want to “do something”? But that “something” is worse than doing nothing. It turns out to be very harmful. 

Same thing for many of us as individuals. Have we learned to “wait on the Lord”? Or do we just go ahead and do what “seems right,” or what everyone else thinks we should do, or just do the “standard procedure”? 

The lesson here is: we need to learn to wait on the Lord. THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING ANY OF US CAN HAVE IS THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. We need Him! We need His presence, His leadership, His guidance. But we won’t have it if we “get up and go somewhere” — we’ve left Him and “the cloud of His presence” behind somewhere — and we end up paying the consequences. 

So an important lesson here in Exodus 40 is: wait on the Lord. 

Only move when HE says move, when it is clear that this is HIS direction. And STAY WHERE YOU ARE until you get that clear direction to move. As hard as waiting is, moving without God’s presence, power, and direction, is far worse. 

??? DISCUSSION QUESTION???
??? Can you share a time when God made it VERY clear that He wanted you to make a certain decision???

(For example, I shared with our church family at First Baptist Angleton last Sunday that when I was talking with the Search Committee about coming to Angleton, I had a strong sense that this was God’s leading. Then the day I was to talk to them again, I read in Hebrews 11:8 in my regular Bible reading that morning, “By faith Abraham … went out, not knowing where he was going.” I had the strongest impression that this was God telling me that this applied to me. So that night the Committee said, Let’s set up a time for you to come look around before you come in view of a call, and I said, I don’t need to. I know this is what God wants me to do, and I don’t need to see it. It’s not a matter of geography, or what the area looks like. It’s a matter of faith and obedience, and I know this is what God wants me to do. And that’s what we did. So the weekend I went in view of a call, was the first time I had laid eyes upon Angleton, or First Baptist Church. I wish I could say I did things like that all the time, but I don’t! But God made it very clear, and that time I did obey – and I’m grateful I did. We had a blessed 6 years here.)

You/your group can share times like that, when God made it very clear that you were to move/go/do something. 

???  Conversely, you might ask:  ??? Can anyone share a time when you moved without God’s leadership, and you regretted it???

(One of the sad examples of this in Scripture is in I Samuel 13, when Samuel told King Saul to wait on him to come and make the sacrifice before he went to battle; but time was running out, and the people pressured him, so Saul went ahead and “forced himself” and made the sacrifice himself, even thought he was not a priest. And it cost him. Verse 14 says: “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart.” 

A person after God’s heart, will wait on Him! They will move when God says move, and WAIT when God says wait — which may be the harder thing to do!

Over and over the Bible commands us: “wait on the Lord”:

— Psalm 147:11 “The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.”

— Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”

— Proverbs 20:22 “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.”

— Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

Those are some good words for many of God’s people today. Challenge your group members to consider: Is there some area in my life/our church’s life, where God is telling us to WAIT on Him today?  You or someone in your group this week, may really need to hear that, about some specific area in your life/your church. Don’t just “do something.”  WAIT. ON. THE. LORD.!

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